By KIP BURKE news editor
Although the numbers are still being crunched, all indications are that the 2006 Spring Tour of Homes was a success in bringing visitors to Washington-Wilkes for the perfect spring weekend.
Tour organizer Mark Waters said that judging from cash receipts, the turnout was "significantly higher" than in previous years.
The attendance numbers at Washington museums reflected a high number of history-minded visitors. "We had 462 at the Robert Toombs House - that's the highest ever - and 380 at the Washington Historical Museum," Robert Toombs curator Marcia Campbell.
Tour committee volunteers and Chamber of Commerce volunteers staffing the visitors center on The Square talked to hundreds of people throughout the weekend.
"I would say hundreds and hundreds of people have come through the welcome center," said Donna Hardy, Chamber executive director, as she greeted visitors downtown. "There was a writer from Southern Living in town, and I talked to a group of 8 or 10 tour guides who were checking out Washington to bring tour groups here. We never know who's here scoping out Washington."
The good weather - warm and sunny for a week prior - was one factor that everyone agreed helped bring out more visitors.
"The weather was perfect," said Waters, a retired Navy meteorologist who jokingly took credit for the rain early Saturday morning "to wash the pollen out of the air."
Another major factor in the good turnout, Waters and Hardy agreed, was the WWTourofHomes.com website that thousands of visitors saw. More than half the advance ticket sales came from website designed by Sparky Newsome and linked from, among other places, The News-Reporter's web site. Rev. Gail Seibert surveyed visitors as they bought their Tour tickets and after their Tour to see how visitors are finding out the Tour, and what they enjoyed. The data will be used to fine-tune Tour publicity and advertising efforts in the future.
One very popular aspect of the weekend among Tour visitors was the whole idea of being chauffeured around. The Washington Tour of Homes is one of the few tours in which community volunteers use their own cars to drive visitors from Tour headquarters to Tour sites, other attractions, and shopping on The Square.
"Other tours should do it this way," said Naomi Carter of Savannah. "We got a ride with a nice fella in a red Mini convertible, and he was a hoot! He was the perfect host and added so much to the afternoon."
Hotels and bed & breakfast inns were busy through the weekend, as were stores around The Square. The annual luncheon at The Woman's Club was a sell-out, and the Tour Buffet Luncheon at the First United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Tea Room were busy, too, as were the restaurants around town.
Visitors also found four performances of the Washington Little Theater Co.'s musical The 1940s Radio Hour at The Playhouse on North Alexander Street, and enjoyed the Spring Artist's Market at Court Street Livery Gallery, just off The Square on West Court Street.
Reader Comments
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Volunteers make the 2006 Tour go 'round
2006 Tour of Homes will feature 10 homes;
Lafayette Manor Inn - 219 East Robert Toombs Avenue
The 2006 Spring Tour of Homes of Washington-Wilkes will be held on March 31, and April 1 and 2. The Candlelight Tour will get underway on Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m., and continue until 9 p.m. The Candlelight Tour will also be held on Saturday evening, April 1, during the same hours.
A Dessert Soiree will be available to those on the tour and others at Holly Court Inn, home of Phillip and Margaret Rothman, 301 South Alexander Avenue, on Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Day Tour will begin Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 5 p.m. The day tour will also be available on Sunday, April 2, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Tour headquarters will be at the Washington-Wilkes Elementary School on East Street, just off East Robert Toombs Avenue.
DAY TOUR
There will be six homes on the Day Tour. These six homes are:
The home of Jerry and Kay Robinson, 104 Pembroke Drive;
Southern Elegance, Jean Davis Blair, 115 West Robert Toombs Avenue.
Lafayette Manor Inn, (former Maynard's Manor), East Robert Toombs Avenue, home of Guillaume and Sokun Slama.
Deborah Rainey's Downtown Loft; and
Wisteria Hall, home of Jim and Jane Bundy, 225 East Robert Toombs Avenue.
Washington Plantation, Tom and Barbara Chase, Lexington Avenue;
CANDLELIGHT TOUR
The Candlelight Tour will feature three homes and Holly Court Inn where the Dessert Soiree will be held. These are:
The home of John and Kathleen Overstreet, 401 East Robert Toombs Avenue;
The Rider House, Jane and Smythe Newsome, 109 Court Street;
Holly Court Inn, Dessert Soiree, South Alexander Avenue; and
The Home of Ricky and Kathy Lindsey, South Alexander Avenue.
OTHER
ATTRACTIONS
The Washington Little Theater Co.'s presentation will be "1940s Radio Hour," and will be presented Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Cost is $10.
The Washington Woman's Club Luncheon is sold out.
The First United Methodist Church will also provide lunch for $10.
Admission to the Robert Toombs House, Washington Historical Museum and Callaway Plantation will be free with the purchase of any ticket package. Cost to non-ticket holders is the regular price at the door.
Other attractions on the tour which are free include the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Washington Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, the Mary Willis Library, and an Arts and Crafts Show at the Livery Stable coordinated by Debbie Wells.
Organ music will be presented at the Washington Presbyterian Church from 6 to 8 p.m. during the candlelight tours Friday and Saturday nights. Visitors are encouraged to sit and listen for as long or as short a time as they would like.Tourists and local people are invited to visit the many shops and attractions in Downtown Washington.
COSTS
Ticket prices are $25.00 for the day or candlelight tour; $45.00 for both Day and Candlelight tours; $5.00 at the door of any single home; and $10.00 for the Dessert Soiree.
TICKETS
Ticket and reservation information are available by calling 706678-2013.
HOMES FEATURED
Each week until the tour days, The News-Reporter will feature one of the homes on the tour. For more information and an overview of all the tour homes, visit www.ww tourofhomes.com.
LaFayette Manor Inn
219 E. Robert Toombs Avenue
LaFayette Manor Inn was built in the mid-1820s for Elizabeth Tarver, widow of John Tarver. It was a single story, approximately 20'x24'. The land on which the house stands had been owned in 1783 by George Walton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It later became part of the Gilbert estate.
Other owners have included David P. Hillhouse, Guy Harris Sandifer, Oliver L. Battle, Frank Colley, Sarah Cooper Sanders, and C.L. Wickersham.
Ross and Louise Maynard purchased the property on May 30, 1997, and began renovation and restoration immediately. Before the Maynards bought the property it was for many years the home of Katie and Charles Wickersham, both native Wilkes Countians. Following their deaths, the house was vacant for five years or more. The new owner had begun an extensive renovation project and had removed all of the plaster walls and ceilings, along with all of the fireplace mantels, plumbing, electric wiring, doors, door frames, woodwork, stairs and light fixtures.
The house had been extended 18 feet to the rear and this addition was two stories high. The rear wall was never finished and at this point the venture was abandoned and the house stood vacant and gutted for several years.
The house now has six bedrooms and six bathrooms on the upstairs level; two kitchens, a master bedroom with bath, a den, four formal rooms, and a half bath on the main level. Every door in the house is original. The Maynards salvaged and replaced every piece of original trim and baseboard that was found in, around, and under the house. They began occoupancy of the house on August 28, 1998.
In January 2006, the property was sold to Guillaume Slama and Sokunvathany Nuon-Slama, and they chose LaFayette Manor Inn as the name for their bed and breakfast facility. Both are from France and have been living in Atlanta for about eight years. Sokunvathany is originally from Cambodia but moved with her family to France when she was six years old. She is a trained chef and they will be serving a combination of French and Cambodian cuisine to their guests at lunch and dinner.
They have recently been licensed to serve meals to the general public by reservation.
The new owners have installed a large commercial kitchen and Washington-Wilkes decorator Joe Barnett has installed the drapes downstairs. A combination of oriental and French dcor has been used throughout the house. Other decorating is still in progress.
Reader Comments
2006 Tour of Homes will feature 10 homes;
2006 Tour of Homes will feature 10 homes; visit 'wwtourofhomes.com' for overview
Lindsey home - 419 S. Alexander Avenue
The 2006 Spring Tour of Homes of Washington-Wilkes will be held on March 31, and April 1 and 2. The Candlelight Tour will get underway on Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m., and continue until 9 p.m. The Candlelight Tour will also be held on Saturday evening, April 1, during the same hours.
A Dessert Soiree will be available to those on the tour and others at Holly Court Inn, home of Phillip and Margaret Rothman, 301 South Alexander Avenue, on Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Day Tour will begin Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 5 p.m. The day tour will also be available on Sunday, April 2, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Tour headquarters will be at the Washington-Wilkes Elementary School on East Street, just off East Robert Toombs Avenue.
DAY TOUR
There will be six homes on the Day Tour. These five homes are:
The home of Jerry and Kay Robinson, 104 Pembroke Drive;
Southern Elegance, Jean Davis Blair, 115 West Robert Toombs Avenue.
Washington Plantation, Tom and Barbara Chase, Lexington Avenue;
Lafayette Manor Inn, (former Maynard's Manor), East Robert Toombs Avenue, home of Guillaume Slama and Sokunvathany Nuon-Slama.
Deborah Rainey's Downtown Loft; and
Wisteria Hall, home of Jim and Jane Bundy, 225 East Robert Toombs Avenue.
CANDLELIGHT TOUR
The Candlelight Tour will feature four homes and Holly Court Inn where the Dessert Soiree will be held. These are:
The home of John and Kathleen Overstreet, 401 East Robert Toombs Avenue;
The Rider House, Smythe and Jane Newsome, 109 Court Street;
Holly Court Inn, Dessert Soiree, South Alexander Avenue; and
The Home of Ricky and Kathy Lindsey, South Alexander Avenue.
OTHER
ATTRACTIONS
The Washington Little Theater Co.'s presentation will be "1940s Radio Hour," and will be presented Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Cost is $10.
The Washington Woman's Club Luncheon will be available by reservation only at noon on Saturday, at a cost of $10 each. This is a seated luncheon with a home-cooked meal served in the exquisitely decorated historic Woman's Club.
The First United Methodist Church will also provide lunch for $10.
Admission to the Robert Toombs House, Washington Historical Museum and Callaway Plantation will be free with the purchase of any ticket package. Cost to non-ticket holders is the regular price at the door.
Other attractions on the tour which are free include the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Washington Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, the Mary Willis Library, and an Arts and Crafts Show at the Livery Stable coordinated by Debbie Wells.
Tourists and local people are invited to visit the many shops and attractions in Downtown Washington.
COSTS
Ticket prices are $25.00 for the day or candlelight tour; $45.00 for both Day and Candlelight tours; $5.00 at the door of any single home; and $10.00 for the Dessert Soiree.
TICKETS
Ticket and reservation information are available by calling 706678-2013. More information and a form to order tickets are available at www.wwtourofhomes.com.
HOMES FEATURED
Each week until the tour days, The News-Reporter will feature one of the homes on the tour.
Home of
Ricky and Kathy Lindsey
410 S. Alexander Avenue
This bungalow-style home was built in 1913 by W.T. Johnson for his daughter, Louise Johnson Norman, and her husband, attorney Robert Claude Norman.
Ricky and Kathy Lindsey purchased the house in 1977 from the children of the original owners. According to Robert C. Norman Jr., the only structural changes his family made to the house were the removal of two butler pantries making the kitchen into one large room, and the removal of a wall and sliding doors, opening the parlor to the front entrance.
Before the Lindseys purchased the house it had been sub-divided into apartments. The Lindseys restored the upstairs, removing the kitchen. They also removed the linoleum in the downstairs kitchen, exposing the original pine flooring.
The French doors throughout the house are typical of the bungalow style. Another interesting feature is the bell press in the floor of the dining room. This was used in the early days of the house's existence to summon the servants.
Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey have furnished their home with an extensive collection of country antiques. They are particularly proud of their basket and quilt collections.
Reader Comments
2006 Spring Tour of Homes will be held on March 31, and April 1 and 2.
2006 Tour of Homes will feature 10 homes; weekend events begin with soiree March 31
Southern Elegance – 115 West Robert Toombs Avenue
The 2006 Spring Tour of Homes of Washington-Wilkes will be held on March 31, and April 1 and 2. The Candlelight Tour will get underway on Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m., and continue until 9 p.m. The Candlelight Tour will also be held on Saturday evening, April 1, during the same hours.
A Dessert Soiree will be available to those on the tour and others at Holly Court Inn, home of Phillip and Margaret Rothman, 301 South Alexander Avenue, on Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Day Tour will begin Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 5 p.m. The day tour will also be available on Sunday, April 2, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Tour headquarters will be at the Washington-Wilkes Elementary School on East Street, just off East Robert Toombs Avenue.
DAY TOUR
There will be five homes on the Day Tour. These five homes are:
The home of Jerry and Kay Robinson, 104 Pembroke Drive;
Southern Elegance, Jean Davis Blair, 115 West Robert Toombs Avenue.
Lafayette Manor Inn, (former Maynard’s Manor), East Robert Toombs Avenue, home of Guillaume Slama and Sokunvathany Nuon-Slama.
Deborah Rainey’s Downtown Loft; and
Wisteria Hall, home of Jim and Jane Bundy, 225 East Robert Toombs Avenue.
CANDLELIGHT TOUR
The Candlelight Tour will feature four homes and Holly Court Inn where the Dessert Soiree will be held. These are:
The home of John and Kathleen Overstreet, 401 East Robert Toombs Avenue;
The Rider House, Smythe and Jane Newsome, 109 Court Street;
Washington Plantation, Tom and Barbara Chase, Lexington Avenue;
Holly Court Inn, Dessert Soiree, South Alexander Avenue; and
The Home of Ricky and Kathy Lindsey, South Alexander Avenue.
OTHER
ATTRACTIONS
The Washington Little Theater Co.’s presentation will be “1940s Radio Hour,” and will be presented Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Cost is $10.
The Washington Woman’s Club Luncheon will be available by reservation only at noon on Saturday, at a cost of $10 each. This is a seated luncheon with a home-cooked meal served in the exquisitely decorated historic Woman’s Club. The First United Methodist Church will also provide lunch for $10.
Admission to the Robert Toombs House, Washington Historical Museum and Callaway Plantation will be free with the purchase of any ticket package. Cost to non-ticket holders is the regular price at the door.
Other attractions on the tour which are free include the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Washington Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, the Mary Willis Library, and an Arts and Crafts Show at the Livery Stable coordinated by Debbie Wells.
Tourists and local people are invited to visit the many shops and attractions in Downtown Washington.
COSTS Ticket prices are $25.00 for the day or candlelight tour; $45.00 for both Day and Candlelight tours; $5.00 at the door of any single home; and $10.00 for the Dessert Soiree.
TICKETS
Ticket and reservation information are available by calling 706678-2013. More information and a form to order tickets are available at www.wwtourofhomes.com.
HOMES FEATURED
Each week until the tour days, The News-Reporter will feature one of the homes on the tour.
Southern Elegance
Home of Jeanne Davis Blair
115 W. Robert Toombs Ave.
This Free-Classics Queen Anne style house with elements of Craftsman high style was built sometime before 1919 by local lumberman George F. Strother.
The house is distinguished by painted rounded columns on granite piers and has a fan decoration and double ell porch. The one-and-ahalf story house has a pressed metal tin silver roof.
When Mr. Strother built the house, he had bought the property from Garnett Green, but in January 1920 it was signed over to Mrs. Susie W. (T.J.) Wills who served on the first Wilkes County Board of Health. As president of the Washington Woman’s Club she led the women in successfully working for accreditation of the local school.
In 1934 she sold the property to her daughter, Penelope Wills, and in 1958 Miss Wills sold the house and lot to Austin H. Barnett whose family lived in the house for 30 years before it was purchased by Alice and Bill Green.
The late Victorian home has a columned porch and five coal burning fireplaces. A butler’s pantry connects the dining room and kitchen. Mr. Green added a spa room off the bedroom. The added room has column details and windows matching the original house. He also built a fruit cellar and a back porch which enhances the rear of the house.
The house is currently owned by Jeanne Davis Blair who purchased it in June 2004. She has converted the house to an elaborate bed and breakfast facility known as Southern Elegance.
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